


This predicament we're in

by bluexbell



Series: invisible string 'verse [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Assistant Piett, Canon is a sandbox and I'm eating the sand, Crack Treated Seriously, Darth Vader's A+ parenting, Fashion Mogul Darth Vader, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Luke Skywalker being a Fashion Icon TM, Model Luke Skywalker, Model!AU, Non-Chronological, Parent Darth Vader, Photographer Han Solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28628010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluexbell/pseuds/bluexbell
Summary: "Wait, you meanObi-Wan Kenobirecommended me?" Han asks, swirling around to face Luke. His hands are firmly holding the camera hanging over his neck in its place, and Luke vaguely hears Chewie grumbling from behind the monitor as they pause the shoot.Luke blinks. "Yeah. You know him?" He asks, fingers unconsciously fiddling with the plunging neckline of his borrowed t-shirt, trying to cover more of his chest. Damn Han and his lack of better wardrobe."Kid," Han says, placing a hand on Luke's shoulder. "You really should brush up on your celebrity gossip." He says, eyes full of pity."..."Luke doesn't have a response tothat.x(The Model AU In which Luke somehow got a contract for a modelling job, met some interesting characters along the way, and managed to catch the eyes of one Darth Vader, the executive producer of the elite clothing line, The Empire.)
Relationships: Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker & Han Solo
Series: invisible string 'verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097873
Comments: 9
Kudos: 36





	1. First Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a pretty self-indulgent AU because I need to see Luke Skywalker being recognized as the fashion icon that he is ;) 
> 
> This is going to be a series of non-chronological drabbles that are loosely connected to each other! I'll inform the timeline at the start of every chapter :) There's also a general timeline on the end notes below!

_Luke signed a contract for a modeling gig. This was his first day and he was very,_ very _nervous._

* * *

“Good morning, Mister Luke!” Threepio cheerfully greets as Luke steps in the office that morning. Luke offers a nervous smile back, still feeling jittery on the insides. The office is rather bustling, considering the awkward hours of 6.19 in the morning. Luke supposes it’s not _that_ weird, if what he’s heard from Han about the work hours were true. _He_ himself doesn’t know what he’s doing here, showing up way too early with no plan to pass the time. His first test shoot was scheduled for 7.30AM, but running on pure adrenaline and nervous energy, Luke had woken up at 5 and immediately darted into the fresher to prepare. He couldn't lay there in his bed any longer, thoughts about today swirling around madly in his head.

He figured he’d prepare some time before the shoot just to get a general feeling of the place, and maybe familiarize himself with the building should he get lost. The former is proving to be difficult as he watches people milling back and forth, confidently navigating the floor. 

And now, walking into the pristine Rebels Modeling Agency, clutching a bag and wearing his best overalls, Luke feels like he is going to combust from the sheer pent-up excitement inside of him. His first job! As a model! Who would’ve thought the farm boy could get here, huh? If Wedge could see him now, he’d be so _proud._ Oh, he wishes Han could be here as his photographer. He’d feel so much more comfortable with a familiar face around.

Oblivious to Luke’s internal struggle, Threepio continues. “Your appointment isn’t until an hour, Mister Luke. Would you like me to notify--”

“No!” He cuts in, embarrassingly loud. Thankfully, Threepio isn’t human, and he won’t think that Luke is being weird. 

The droid only looks at him for another millisecond, before he nods. “All right, then, Sir. May I inquire why your assistant droid is not with you? Is he not aware that you’re here, Sir? Truly, I must say, that’s rather careless of him! If you don’t mind, I’d recommend getting him repaired--” 

“What?” Luke says eloquently. 

This time, Luke definitely senses the weird look Threepio is sending him. “Your assistant droid, Sir, R2-D2?” Threepio clarifies professionally, and the mention of Artoo causes Luke’s brain to short-circuit.

Oh, kriff. 

_“Artoo!”_ Luke gasps.

x

Somewhere in a tiny apartment across town, an angry droid is running around in circles, beeping angrily at the sight of Luke Skywalker’s empty bed.


	2. First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Luke Skywalker met Han Solo when he was 19. He was not impressed (at first)._

"This place is a junk!" Luke exclaims before his mind can properly filter the words. 

The photographer, Han Solo, shots him a dirty look as he unlocks the door to the building. Calling it a building is too generous, Luke thinks, when the place resembles more of a garage than anything. Its weathered-down walls are cracked, with wild vines growing along the sides. It looks like a tornado had passed this building in particular, leaving random scraps of junk scattered outside. Now Luke is a tiny bit worried about what might be inside. 

"Oh, shut it, kid." Han says testily, "This place has everything we need for a photoshoot, I can guarantee  _ that _ .” He says, shucking the door open with a loud rattle. Han has to kick the door a little to make enough space to enter before he steps in.

Luke doesn't quite believe his words, but he shuts his mouth and slips by the narrow entrance to follow Han inside.

The studio, if it can be even called  _ that _ , is a touch bigger than Luke’s dingy apartment. There is a small dressing room with a vanity in the back, and quite an ample amount of bare space in the middle that is covered with white backdrop. There are a couple of lights leaning behind the door haphazardly. All in all, Luke’s unprofessional eyes can judge this place to be at least a decent basic studio. Perfect for him, he supposes.

So Luke wanders down to sit down in front of the vanity, letting Han fiddle away with his gear and equipment in the background. Chewie is also busy setting up the lights, conversing with Han in indecipherable mumbles. Luke is left alone to stare at his reflection, noting the way his hair is now touching the nape of his neck, the soft curls unruly. He wishes, not for the first time this week, that Ben could be here. He could at least help Luke to prepare and maybe even reassure him that  _ this  _ is still a good idea.

Luke lets out a soft sigh. He’s really out of his depth here, equipped with only a cryptic message from Ben that he should get his headshot taken by Han, and then-- nothing. Not even a contact info or address of Ben. It was the single most frustrating thing about his fleeting encounter with the man. Luke cannot even say for sure if meeting him hadn't just been a figment of his imagination, and that Ben was merely a hallucination he'd conjure to deal with the Thing that happened back at the farm. 

But, no. Ben was real, and he found Luke and dragged him away from the Homestead, steering him to the cantina in Mos Eisley. He was negotiating price for a professional headshot with Han Solo one second, and in the next he was gone. 

So much for the promise to guide him into the industry, Luke sighs.

Pulling his thoughts back into the present, Luke stares some more into his own bewildered reflection in the mirror. This had been some of the weirdest turn of events of his whole life. Well, he’s already here and Ben already paid for this anyway, so he might as well see this through and figure out the next step later.

While raking a hand through his hair, the corner of Luke's vision catches the cluster of beauty products tucked near the edge of the mirror, covered in a light layer of dust. Intrigued, Luke picks a tube of liquid foundation, turning it around to find the instruction on how to use it. He should at least powder his face… right? The fact is, there is no makeup artist here, and Luke definitely can’t style himself well enough to make him look presentable in front of a camera. Pursing his lips, Luke settles for fixing his hair in the end, patting them down into a more manageable mess.

“What are you--” Han calls suddenly, then stops. 

Luke turns, a hand still hanging in the air, and tilts his head. “What?” 

Han steps away from the shooting area and stalks closer to stand in front of Luke, raising an eyebrow. He doesn’t say anything else, just continue staring. His eyes catch the abandoned foundation tube laying on its side, and back again to Luke. Feeling not unlike a deer in the headlights, Luke lets down his hand awkwardly and settles them on his lap.

Han clicks his tongue. “Right. No makeup artist, no stylist… Damn, looks like you’re in my hands after all, kid.” He says, cocking an eyebrow. 

To which Luke could only answer, “Huh?” 

“No worries. Chewie can style your outfit a little, make it look better.” Han waves a dismissive hand. Then he scrutinizes Luke again from head to toe, obviously not liking anything as his frowns get deeper and deeper.

Finally, after an uncomfortable minute later, Han says, “You know what? A stuck-up, formal look ain’t gonna look good on you. Lemme just--” Han trails off in favor of running a hand through Luke’s neat hair, messing it up with a large palm. 

“Hey!” Luke squeaks, trying to get away from the offending hand. He had spent  _ time  _ getting the curls to look at least decent, but now they’re all over the place. Again! If Artoo could see this, he’d be raising up a hell!

“Okay, better.” Han steps back, expertly not looking at Luke’s glare. “Now, why don’t you shrug off those dirty clothes and wear a clean one instead? Chewie, get me a white t-shirt! Yes,  _ that  _ one! How many white t-shirts do we even have, damn!” Han shouts. Chewie responds by stomping loudly in annoyance.

Luke watches the exchange with a curious look. Surely, things outside of Tatooine are really different. Or maybe that’s just Han and Chewie, because despite all the noise, they still seem… close? Luke has never seen two people who communicate with so much vigor as these two, but then again, Han is a very peculiar man. 

Chewie appears a moment later with a heavy grunt, holding a bundled white fabric that he tosses to Han’s head. Han catches it easily enough, and presents them to Luke. “Here you go. Get changed and we’ll start the shoot.” He says, jerking his chin to a corner of the studio that’s closed off with a flimsy curtain. Then he turns, leaving Luke to 

Taking it in his hands, Luke starts to inspect them. It seems like a normal enough tee shirt, but a tiny detail catches his eyes. “Uh, Han?”

“Yeah, kid?” Han answers, already standing behind his camera again. He doesn’t even look up to glance at Luke.

“I think this shirt is missing some fabrics?” Luke asks, puzzled. He holds them up with his fingers, displaying the front to Han, who is  _ finally  _ looking at him.

“What are you talking about? It’s a V-neck, Luke.” Han says, incredulous. 

Luke frowns. He knows that! But the tee shirt is ridiculously thin already, the material almost translucent, and Luke is pretty sure v-necks aren’t supposed to showcase your whole chest. “Yeah, but it’s cut so low! Don’t you have, like, uh-- I don't know? A normal shirt?” He asks again, feeling his cheeks warming in embarrassment. Crap, Luke doesn’t want to sound like a country bumpkin now of all times, but he's really not sure if he can wear this and  _ not  _ look like a total weirdo. Doesn’t that wardrobe in the back have nothing better than this? Luke wonders, a little bit alarmed.

This is, yet again, spiraling into a bad idea really quick.

Han sighs tiredly. He straightens up, putting his hands in his pocket and throws him another one of those looks. “That shirt will show off your shoulders and define those collarbones, Luke. It’s basically the same as mine!” He gestures to his own clothes.

“But you’re wearing a vest over it.” Luke points out flatly.

“Luke." Han says, and Luke can hear the hints of irritation creeping in his voice, and he stays silent.. "Do you or do you  _ not  _ want to get a headshot taken?”

“I do,” Luke says, conflicted. 

“Then trust me, Luke. It’ll turn out good, I swear.” Han says, clasping Luke firmly in the shoulder. Luke is rather surprised by the fierce sincerity in Han’s eyes, this coming from the same man who had just brought Luke back into his studio with great reluctance.

Han isn’t a bad person as far as Luke can tell, and he’s clearly a capable photographer… 

Luke catches Han's eyes before nodding slowly. “Okay.”

Oh, he hopes this is the right choice.

* * *

In the end, it really  _ does _ turn out to be good. The plunging neckline Luke was worried about doesn’t seem so bad now that he’s finally seeing the result. The tee shirt falls loosely on his shoulder, barely hanging to the edge of his shoulder, and it accentuates the broadness of Luke’s shoulder nicely. His collarbones are highlighted by the shadows, making them sharper, and his eyes… 

Luke knows that he has bright, blue eyes, but he never thought they’d look like  _ that _ . The dark lighting really brings out the color in them, reflecting the way they shine and making the color look even paler. His hair is strewn artfully in the photo, falling gracefully on his nape in soft curls. He looks, frankly, almost mysterious and deep, but with hints of youthful defiance shining through. Han has turned Luke Skywalker, a bumbling 20 years old with his baby cheeks and all, into someone with an actual possibility of entering the fashion industry.

"Han, this is incredible!" Luke gasps, and he can’t help the way his eyes must be shining in awe at Han.

Han smirks, rightfully smug. "Still think this place is a junk, Junior?" He teases. Chewy claps Luke heavily on the back, daring him to answer.

Luke laughs. "Definitely," he says, grinning fondly at the run-down studio. Han is nothing short of a miracle worker, and the shoot had just proven that. 

Luke is finally getting into the modelling world.  _ Finally _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens :D The next chapter will be a jump forward so we'll see Vader and Piett! I'm very excited for that one. 
> 
> Also a teeny tiny disclaimer because I'm not a model or anything remotely like it so all of this stuff are based on a pretty fascinating Google research haha!
> 
> Again, please do throw me ideas or what not if you'd like! I'd love to hear what you guys think :)


	3. Little Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Post-show. Darth Vader and Luke. With Piett thrown in the mix (he didn't ask for this!)_
> 
> Takes place roughly three years after Luke first signed the modeling contract, and Luke is now working with Vader. (Luke is 23)

"Where is the boy?" Vader demands, storming out of the room. People in the hallway give him a wide berth, some even scurrying out of his sight. Piett, barely able to match his long stride, is power-walking to keep up on Vader's heels. 

"He's not in a state to see you, Sir--" Piet says. There is a hint of hesitancy in his voice that causes Vader's brows to knit together. How odd. Piett is not one to defy Vader’s wishes, a trait that gave him his position as Vader’s assistant. Vader thought that of all people, Piett would be the one standing between him and Luke.

_ "Where _ is the boy, Piett?" He asks once again, hissing at the man’s newly-found incompetence. Such weak person should  _ not  _ be in Vader’s team. Unacceptable. 

Doing exactly as Vader never expects him to do, Piett actually closes his mouth, reluctant to bring out an answer. 

Vader's mood is spiraling even further at his assistant's strange attitude, so much so that he's already opening his mouth to start  _ shouting _ , but Piett beats him to it. 

"He's in the dressing room B," Piett says carefully. "But, Sir! He's really in no shape to see you right now--" 

Not bothering to listen to the rest of his nonsense, Vader marches purposefully down the hall. Piett is once more struggling to catch up with him. 

_ "Luke!" _ Vader says, roughly opening up the door with a huge 'B' sign-- and stopping right on his track. 

The hot, flaming anger left his body in an instant, like a match that has been blown. Inside, slumped on the long sofa, was Luke Skywalker.  _ Sleeping _ . There is a slow and steady movement of his chest, his face devoid of any emotions. 

He looks very peaceful, for a lack of better word. There is no frown on his brows, nor a scowl on his face, and suddenly Vader remembers that he is not more than a boy. One that can barely even be called as a young man. 

"Ah," Piett's soft sigh goes unnoticed in the background as Vader continues to stand there and stare, physically unable to tear his face away from the scene in front of him.

"Close the door." He says quietly.

He doesn’t need to turn around to see Piett’s confused face as the man asks, "Pardon me, Sir?"

Grinding his teeth, Vader harshly whispers, "Close the door on your way out, Piett." He lets his voice turns into disdain, knowing the effect it will have on Piett, who’s more than familiar with the consequence of failure.

Piett does not scurry out like other people, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut and walks out on silent toes. Vader barely notices him leaving, his eyes more intrigued to a piece of heavy fabric laying on the floor, obviously a victim of the boy’s sleeping habits. He wonders if Piett had stumbled upon him by accident. Was he the one providing the blanket? It doesn't really matter now.

And if he draped them back over Luke's shoulder, securing them under the boy’s chin, then it would be nobody’s business. 

Perhaps Piett had been correct in not letting Vader see the boy. The man probably thought he would haul Luke back up to go over a brutal review of his latest run. He should. The performance was barely acceptable, and Vader never held back on his constructive criticism.

Vader bends to one knee, enraptured by the serene expression Luke wears. With a gloved hand still on the boy’s shoulder, he turns to settle his knuckles over Luke’s hair instead, brushing his bangs aside. 

Truly, to be the best model in this industry, one should strive to give their best everyday. And… maybe one also needs the occasional little nap before moving to the evaluation time.

With that in mind, Vader settles across the sofa on a lone chair, already picking apart today’s schedule on his head. A few clicks at the datapad later and the evaluation is pushed back for a couple of hours. 

Perhaps Vader also needs a little chat with his assistant about workload and adding more sofas to the dressing room. Mm, perhaps. 

For now, he’ll enjoy the quiet of the room, certain that Piett will not let anyone wander in on accident.. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a time-skip with this one! i just want to write a bit of fluff so, here it is :)

**Author's Note:**

> So, this AU is set in modern times where everything is pretty much the same as canon (minus the war) but they're just… not in space lol.
> 
> General Timeline: This fic basically follows the ANH, in terms of meeting the characters:  
> Luke was 20 when Things happened to the Lars and he met Ben, who would introduce him to Han. Han does his headshot, and Luke gets a contract with a modeling agency after that. Later on, he'll meet Leia and Lando along the way. And when he’s 23, Luke will meet Vader for the first time.
> 
> I have plotted out some characters to be added here, including Piett and Din Djarin because I cannot help myself lmao ;;; But, alas! Prompts and ideas are very much appreciated because I'd really love to explore more of this AU, so send in your ideas! 
> 
> Also, you can reach me on tumblr @bluexbell to say hello or scream about the mandalorian finale together :)


End file.
